Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has a blunt message for the GOP: “Stop being the stupid party.”
The potential 2016 presidential contender gave the keynote speech at a meeting of the Republican National Committee on Thursday, arguing that the party must adjust its message to attract a broader segment of the country.
“We’ve got to stop being the stupid party. It’s time for a new Republican Party that talks like adults,” he said. “We had a number of Republicans damage the brand this year with offensive and bizarre comments. I’m here to say we’ve had enough of that.”
It wasn’t Jindal’s first dose of tough love for the GOP. The Republican rising star has been casting himself as a reformer of his own party since Mitt Romney’s loss to President Obama in November.
His comments were seconded on Friday by Haley Barbour, the former RNC chairman and Mississippi governor.
Barbour said Republicans like former Senate candidates Richard Mourdock and Todd Akin hurt the rest of the party with their inflammatory comments about rape and pregnancy.
“The comments they made were stupid comments, offensive comments and in today’s world when a candidate in one state says something, the negative effect of that can spill over to a lot of other candidates,” Barbour said on “CBS This Morning.”
“Bobby Jindal was exactly right,” he added.
Jindal’s speech also advocated for drastically smaller government, while at the same time criticizing the GOP’s “obsession with government bookkeeping.”
He refused, however, to entertain speculation about his 2016 prospects.
“Any Republican that’s thinking about talking about running for president in 2016 needs to get his head examined,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
With News Wire Services.
klee@nydailynews.com
